The Basoga 117
which matrimonial relations aie contracted, is part of the death ceremonies of some one who has died m that locality
Preparations are made immediately after death for burial The core of a banana-tree is taken and pounded into a spongy, fibrous pulp It contains sufficient moisture, and a few handfuls of it is taken and the women of the house scrub the corpse with it If the deceased is a married man, the wife performs this duty If a woman, some other woman of the household does it No one is allowed to be present at this operation but the parties engaged at it
The persons entitled by right to carry a corpse to the grave are the grandsons or great-grandsons of the deceased If these are not present, then other arrangements are made There is no coffin or box The body is placed in a grave fifteen feet deep, covered with bark-cloth, and then the earth is filled in. The earth is, however, not firmly pressed down, as it is the custom of absent relations who are dwelling at a distance to come on the scene as soon as they can, and they dig up the earth again till they come very nearly to the corpse, and then they pack the earth down very tightly, and again when the grave is full of earth, it is trodden down, the surface is swept clean, and nothing whatever except the fresh surface remains to indicate the spot
Custom also prescribes that a great quantity of bananas should now be cut and prepared to make beer This takes about ten days, but as soon as all is ready, the beer-pots are collected in the open space of the village or in front of the house, and in the afternoon a special drum is beaten which means to those who hear it that there is going to be a "kisibo" that night The kisibo is therefore the final item in the death ceremonies They are not held at certain, periods, but whenever a person dies, and they are attended by not only the people in the village, but by all the young men and women within a radius of eight or ten miles